Forty Degrees Of Separation

If I assume that the historical average life span of people has been 50 years, then 40 people laid end to end (along the temporal dimension) would suffice to connect me to the age of Pontius Pilate, Caesar, and of course, Jesus. This makes me feel as if an earlier, simpler era is just around the corner, not shrouded in the mists of Time, as it were. For some reason, this makes me feel very cosy and secure.